Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
addition to just having water, the water that is supplied
should be clean and potable. Waterers come in all shapes
and sizes. Everything from small pails to a 200-gallon (757
liters) tank can be used to deliver water to goats. For kids,
using smaller and shallow troughs is recommended so kids
can climb out of troughs easily. Allowing goats to drink
from streams and ponds is not a recommended practice,
especially when the quality of water is unknown. Allowing
livestock to roam in streams leads to degradation of water
quality downstream, contributes to soil erosion, and
spreads disease.
There are two main types of watering systems for goats:
automatic and non-automatic. In automatic watering
systems, water is delivered automatically through fl oats
and valves, the water is recharged frequently for freshness,
and the level is maintained at a minimum. In non-auto-
matic watering systems, water must be placed in the con-
tainer. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of
these systems. The main advantage of automatic waterers
is that fresh water is constantly supplied to the animals
with minimal effort. Disadvantages include its potential
expense for installation and risk of waterline breakage or
water pump malfunction. Outdoor automatic waterers in
colder environments may need heating elements to prevent
freezing in wintertime. The main advantage to non-auto-
matic watering systems is low cost. These systems are
typically less expensive, but more labor is involved because
the water must be transported to the waterer by hauling,
piping, or carrying the water to the designated location.
Location of water on the pasture is another important
factor to be considered. The water source should be con-
veniently located in an area that can serve more than one
pasture at a time. The best location for water depends on
size of the pasture and the traveled distance. Goats can
easily travel 300-400 m (1,000-1,300 feet) to reach a
water source on level land or about 250 m (800 feet) on
hilly terrain.
Shelters, and/or housing and layout of the pastures,
should be designed so that it is easy to isolate the animals
by opening or closing the shelter gates. The width of the
alleys connecting the pastures should be designed in such
a way that opening the gates can be used as isolation panels
to separate or herd the goats to working facilities. Many
goat-working facilities consist of a gathering corral,
holding pen, chute (alleyway), head catch or working box,
and loading area. Facilities may also include a footbath if
needed and an area for handlers to disinfect themselves
before and after working the goats.
A 2 - 3 m (6 - 9 feet) working chute, 1.5 m (4 - 4.5 feet)
high and about 30-35 cm (12-14 inches) wide will be
appropriate when working on goats. For goats with horns,
the chute should be designed wider at the top. Longer
chutes may be used; however, they must be divided in
sections with sliding gates. Also, a series of canvas
fl aps suspended half way down into the chute, similar to
those used for sheep, may keep their heads down and
may prevent goats from riding each other. Goats do not
like to be confi ned for too long and need continual move-
ment forward; therefore, a holding pen may be preferred.
At the end of a working chute, a scale or a squeeze chute
can be used to isolate individual animals or to stabilize
animals and work on them. A holding pen should be
half as long as a working chute and at least 4 m (12 feet)
wide at the open edge of the pen and taper toward the
alleyway.
Although most of the equipment mentioned in this
section can be built, there are some companies in the U.S.
or around the world that specialize in goat-handling equip-
ment. As a general rule, purchased equipment is much
more expensive than homemade equipment. However,
purchased equipment is usually of high quality construc-
tion and easier to move and may pay for itself in the long
run (Schoenian, 1999). More sophisticated working chutes
and handling facilities can be purchased ready to be
installed, but they may be more capital intensive (Harwell
and Pinkerton, 1996 ).
Working Facility
Corrals and working facilities are needed for performing
functions such as treating sick animals, giving vaccina-
tions, hoof trimming, catching, weighing, and loading
goats (Schoenian, 1999). In operations with a small number
of goats, welded livestock panels can be used to create a
circular corral in which the goats can be caught. A major
advantage to using this type of corral is that it is relatively
inexpensive and can be assembled and disassembled
quickly. In larger operations, a more complex handling
system may be warranted.
Quarantine Area
To keep the goat herd from contamination or infections
from new arrivals, each goat farm must be equipped with
a quarantine area—a separate area isolated from other
animals. This area must have enough of a buffer zone to
be separated from the area where the rest of the animals
are kept.
Quarantine pens or pastures (more than one pen/pasture
is desirable, if possible) should be outdoors preferably,
